by Hill, C. R.
She spotted Toraz, his hands raised. Then from the corner of her eye, she saw Diaz. He slid into a side room.
“Diaz is on the move,” she communicated. “I’m going after him.”
“Sierra.” It was Jake’s voice in her ear. She didn’t have to look behind her to know that he was there.
“I’m with her, Trent.”
Sierra slowed when she got to the door Diaz had gone through. Jake caught up with her. They both pressed their backs against the wall on either side of the opening. Giving the signal, Jake kicked it open.
Nothing happened. They went in, Sierra now covering Jake’s back. The room looked to be a small office. They went to the door at the opposite end.
It opened to a stairway. Without a word, they climbed the stairs, Jake in front. The space was too narrow for them to walk side-by-side.
The dank smell of a place unused greeted them when they made it to the second floor. They came out into another small room that opened into a huge space littered with crates. The same crates she’d seen at Diaz’s compound.
“You shouldn’t have destroyed my home, Leah.” Diaz’s voice echoed across the room. He was behind a huge stack of weapons.
This definitely changed the equation. She had a bad feeling about what Diaz would do.
She and Jake stayed behind the wall of the smaller room. “Yeah, well, I’ve been told I do a lot of things I shouldn’t,” she called back to him. “Give it up, Diaz. It’s over.”
“Is it?” he asked. “The bottom floor is filled with young children and your own agents. I’m holding five grenades as we speak. If I pull the pins and toss them around, this place will go up like…what is your American saying? The fourth of July?” He laughed. “The entire floor will crash down and how many people will be killed.”
“What do you want, Diaz?” Jake asked, his voice angry.
“Jacob,” Diaz said, drawing out the word. “You know, you pissed me off too. But not as much as Leah or should I call you Sierra?” He paused a moment.
Jake spoke low into their headsets. “Trent. Get the people out of the building. Diaz is threatening to set off some grenades.”
“There’s no way to get them all out immediately. There are babies in the back room. We’ll move as fast as we can. Stall him.”
“I want Leah. She’ll come with me and we’ll walk away from here,” Diaz finally said.
She and Jake exchanged a hard look. He put his hand on her arm. “You can’t go with him.”
“I can’t not, Jake. You heard Trent. They can’t get them all out that quickly.”
His hand tightened.
“I’ll be fine, Jake.” She leaned into him and kissed him hard on the mouth. “Besides, I had Andy reset my compact.” She pulled it out of her vest and quickly hit the button and slid it back into her vest. “I’m transmitting.”
“Sierra…”
She pulled away from him and walked into the larger room. “I’m here, Diaz.”
“Throw your weapon down. You too, Harding. Throw them out onto the floor. Your back up pieces too. And knives.”
Sierra tossed both her guns to the floor, and the knife strapped to her thigh, the clank of metal hitting concrete resounding off the walls. Jake followed suit.
“Good, girl,” Diaz said. “Now walk toward me.”
Sierra should have been scared. She wasn’t. She was still too pissed, especially after seeing all the children downstairs he’d either bought or stolen. Like pieces of property he had planned to sell them off.
And she hadn’t missed the older children, both boys and girls. Teenagers. She knew how few people wanted to adopt children that old. The thought of what they would be sold into sickened her. Diaz sickened her.
She stopped several feet from the man. The barrel of an assault rifle pointed at her head. She wore a flack jacket, but it did nothing to protect from the neck up.
“Take off your earpiece,” he said.
She reached up and removed the small wire.
“Hand it here.”
She dropped it on the floor and stomped it. There was no way in hell she was giving him a way to hear what was going on with the other men.
He jerked her toward him and hit her across the chin with the butt of the gun. “You bitch.”
White hot pain shot through her jaw and the skin across her chin split open. This mission was certainly leaving her with more than her fair share of scars. Just as she recovered, he wrenched her around, snapping her hands in handcuffs behind her back. Then he pushed her toward a door. Another stairway.
“And Harding,” Diaz called. “I won’t hesitate to put a bullet in her pretty head.”
Chapter Twenty
“Diaz has Sierra,” Jake said into his headset. “He bargained for her.”
Trent let loose a string of expletives that were only rivaled by the ones Jake wanted to say. “She’s got her tracking device on.”
Another voice, this one tied into headquarters sounded in his ear. “I’ve got her.” The voice was Andy’s. “I’ll guide you, Jake.”
“Ten-four,” Jake said. “I’m going after her.”
He didn’t wait to hear whether Trent agreed or not. He moved across the large space, weaving between crates. He entered the stairway cautiously and looked down. It was clear.
Zach’s voice sounded in his ear. “I’ve got Diaz and Sierra in my sight. Damn, he’s keeping her perfectly in the way. I can’t get off a shot without risking her. They’re heading for the Land Rover out back.”
Jake wanted to order them to shoot the tires, but if Diaz felt cornered, he’d kill Sierra just for the fun of it.
Jake came around the side of the building, just as the vehicle with Diaz and Sierra, sped off.
As much as he wanted to control the situation, he couldn’t. And now when he’d been the one to give the okay for Sierra to come on this mission, he may have signed her death certificate.
Everything inside him went cold.
~***~
“What do you hope to accomplish, Diaz?” Sierra asked, reaching for a calmness she didn’t feel. This mission had been the most unpredictable mission she’d ever worked and she wondered if her luck was finally up. Eight years in the field, but would she see a ninth?
The cold of the handcuffs rubbed her already sore wrists. They’d just scabbed from the rope burns she’d gotten as she’d fought against her bindings a few days ago. She hated being restrained like this.
He glanced at her as he drove. “You and Harding have screwed up everything.”
“Yeah, well, that’s our job.”
His fist connected with her cheek.
Sierra laughed, even though it hurt like hell. “What a big man you are? Go ahead, hit a woman. One whose hands are restrained at that.”
His hands tightened on the steering wheel. “You will not be laughing soon.”
He glanced in the rearview mirror. He was worried despite his words. He should be. She had no doubt Jake wasn’t far behind. Even if she died, Diaz would die too. If she knew anything, she knew Jake would make sure of it.
Diaz drove them to a small airstrip. She couldn’t get on a plane with him. “Why not just end it here, Diaz?” she asked as he stopped the car.
He glared at her. “I’d love to, my dear. But I’d hate for my plane to get shot down.”
“Even if you get out of here, and even if you kill me, you won’t be able to escape. They’ll hunt you down no matter where you go.”
“When you have enough money, you can buy a new life. No one will find me if I don’t wish it.” He looked at her, a cruel smile on his lips. “And killing you will be my greatest pleasure. But don’t think it will be quick and painless.”
A chill snaked over her skin at his words. Tortured was one thing, but Diaz wouldn’t stop at simple torture. She’d set that up when she’d flirted with him in Santo Domingo.
He shoved his door open and stalked around to her side. Sierra wasn’t getting on that plane. She knew Jake
was somewhere near and possibly some of the others by now. She’d rather Diaz shoot her now anyway, then rape and beat her.
She pulled her knees up, ready when Diaz opened her door. Swiveling, she kicked him hard in the gut. The air rushed out of his lungs and he stumbled backwards. She was out of the car in an instant.
Before he could lift his gun, she kicked his hand. Bones cracked.
He cried out and the gun clattered to the concrete. “Puta!”
She kicked him again, this time in the ribs. She connected hard, but his hand clamped around her ankle. With her hands behind her back, she was off balance.
Sierra went down on her butt and slammed backwards, her head connecting with the concrete. The impact numbed her body. She couldn’t move and Diaz was on top of her. His hands circled her neck.
She shook off the lethargy, knowing her life depended on it and bucked. Her knuckles scraped on the pavement beneath her.
Diaz’s large hands squeezed. Blackness encroached her vision as she fought. Somehow she found enough strength to roll, dislodging his grip. She kicked out, and caught him in the groin.
He uttered swear words in Spanish. Sierra sucked in a huge lungful of air, then another, shaking off dizziness and nausea. She needed to get back to her feet. As she scrambled awkwardly up, Diaz crawled toward his gun.
Sierra caught him in the chin with her boot, snapping his head backward.
She followed it with another hard blow, then another. He went down, his cheek slamming into the ground.
It was only then that she heard the footsteps. She didn’t have to turn to know who’d she see, but she did anyway and dizziness swamped her. Jake ran toward her, followed by Zach. Now that help was here, Sierra went to her knees.
Jake had come. His face hard and angry. Probably pissed at her as usual. But she didn’t care, because it was finally over and she was pretty sure she was going to pass out.
~***~
Sierra woke up, her head in Jake’s lap. His large hand smoothed her hair back. The lines around his mouth were deep with his frown. “What took you so long?” she croaked.
A headache the size of Mount Everest pounded behind her eyes and hurling was still a real possibility.
“We couldn’t take a chance he’d shoot you.”
She tried to smile, her face was numb. “He underestimated me, as usual.”
“Yeah, I guess he did,” Jake said, his voice weary.
“I’m ready to go home.”
“We’re going.” He smoothed his hand over her forehead again. It felt so good. “The chopper will be here in a minute. I’m getting you to a hospital first, while Trent and the others finish up here. There’s a lot to be sorted.”
Sierra closed her eyes again, because the sunlight was hurting her head.
“Sierra.” Jake shook her shoulder. “You need to stay awake.”
“I am awake,” she said, but her words sounded a bit slurred to her own ears.
“Come on, open your eyes. Look at me.” Jake stroked her chin.
She forced her lids open, not an easy task. Sleep tugged at her like a long lost friend.
“That’s my girl,” he said.
She wasn’t sure if anyone had ever said that about her before. She looked into the blue of his eyes, thinking again how mesmerizing they were. “I’m not a girl,” she mumbled. “I’m a woman.”
“Yes, I know. How could I forget that?” His fingers traced her cheeks.
“That feels good.” She swallowed a wave of nausea. “I think I’m going to be sick.”
“Take a deep breath. It’ll pass. You have a knot that size of a grapefruit on your head. If Zach hadn’t dragged Diaz off, I probably would have killed him.”
“You should have. He’s a snake. He’s worse than a snake,” she said. “Are we still in Bolivia?”
Her thoughts seemed jumbled all of a sudden.
Jake’s brows drew together even harder. “Yes. The chopper hasn’t come yet.”
“I hit my head on the pavement.”
She was rambling, but she couldn’t help it. Images were flowing through her brain. Images of Jake in that dirty warehouse in South America, looking like hell, yet so determined.
Images of Daniel in Miami, of his smiling face. Images of him lying on the floor, his skull shattered. Then Jake, lying on top of her. His strong body filling her, holding her. Her mad race on the jet ski.
“Did we get Diaz?” she asked again, her brain fuzzy.
“Yes, sweetheart. He’s gone. You took him down.”
“Good,” she said and her eyes closed.
Vaguely, Sierra registered the sound of an approaching chopper. The next several hours were a blur. She was pretty sure she’d puked in Jake’s lap on the chopper ride home.
Lights and sounds invaded the daze she was in. She’d hit her head on other occasions, even had concussions, but she’d never felt this bad.
Finally, blessed darkness took her.
~***~
Jake sat beside her bed. Her breathing was even, her chest rising and falling at slow intervals. He’d resorted to praying not long after they’d arrived at the hospital.
The blow Sierra had taken to her head had been hard enough to cause her brain to swell. He’d known it was bad even before the doctor started talking about surgery to alleviate the pressure if she didn’t respond. She’d been rambling, asking the same questions over and over. Head injuries were never anything to mess with.
The fact she’d been able to take down Diaz, even after she’d sustained it, testified to her spirit. She was one gutsy woman. Tougher than most men he knew and too stubborn to ever admit defeat.
He picked up her hand and rubbed the back of it. Her knuckles had scabs from her fight with Diaz.
The last forty-eight hours had felt like an eternity. The doctor’s had finally lowered her medication to allow her to wake up, but she hadn’t yet. He needed her to. He wanted to see those beautiful, intelligent eyes.
Squeezing her hand, he spoke. “Come on, Sierra. You need to wake up now and talk to me.”
He’d been murmuring to her for the last hour. Her hand squeezed around his.
Jake bolted to his feet, still holding onto her. Her eyelids fluttered, then opened.
He brushed her cheek. “Welcome back.”
She groaned. “How long have I been out?”
“A couple days.”
“My head hurts.”
“And probably will for a while. That thick skull of yours took a pretty good knock. I need to get the doctor.”
He reluctantly released her and walked to the hall to get the nurse. A few minutes later, the doctor in charge of Sierra’s care walked in. Jake stepped back out of the way while he examined her.
As he watched, he replayed the last few days in his head. The way he’d felt when Diaz had left with her. The maddening uncertainty as he and Zach had given chase.
The fear that he’d get her out of the country and he’d never see her again.
How was he going to live with that on a daily basis? She’d slipped under his radar and he’d fallen in love. How could he ever be affective in his job while he worried over her? She was a good agent and he’d never ask her to give it up. Even as he acknowledged the fact it was probably time he did.
He needed to go home and leave her to live her life. He couldn’t ask her to come with him. It wouldn’t be fair. She thrived on the job.
The doctor finished his examination and declared that Sierra was on the mend.
He left and Jake moved to her side. Her face was still pale, her eyes dulled by pain, but she smiled. “I’m glad it’s over.”
Jake nodded and touched her cheek. “You need to rest. I’m going to go call Trent.”
He leaned down and kissed her on the mouth, then turned and left.
~***~
“How’s Sierra?” Jake sat across from Trent at USOI headquarters.
His long time friend smiled as he steepled his fingers in front of his chest. “Wh
y don’t you ask her yourself?”
“It’s best if I don’t.” At least that was what Jake was telling himself. He knew himself well enough to know that being in the same room with Sierra would be a bad idea. His feelings for her were too intense. Too real.
Trent’s eyes narrowed. “She’s fine. Still on leave, like you. She’s only called me four times in the last week though to try to get me to send her out, but her doctor hasn’t cleared her quite yet.”
Jake nodded. That’s what he’d expected. Sierra loved her job. She wanted to get back in the field.
“What about you? Are you ready to get back to work?”
“That’s what I came to talk to you about. I’m turning in my resignation. I don’t need the money thanks to some good investments, and I’ve had enough.”
Trent leaned forward in his seat. “Is that really what it’s about?”
Jake shrugged. It was hard to hide too much from Trent. “Sierra and I both can’t work here. She was here first. Besides, I’m going to be forty soon. It’s time. I might do some contract work from time to time, but I’m tired of getting shot at,” he said and smiled.
Trent smiled and shook his head. “You’re going to be bored.”
Jake shrugged again. “We’ll see.” He stood and reached across the desk. Trent followed suit and they shook hands. “Look out for Sierra, will you? I’m sure she’ll want to plunge right back into trouble.”
“Probably so. So what about your Harley?”
“You can tell Sierra to leave it with you. I’ll get it later.”
With that Jake turned and left, knowing it would take more than distance from Sierra to get her out of his system.
~***~
Sierra walked into headquarters and toward Trent’s office. Four weeks had gone by since Jake had walked out of her hospital room and hadn’t returned. At first she’d been hurt. She’d cried like a damn baby.
Then she’d gotten angry. That coward had walked away without even telling her good-bye. After everything that had happened. Everything they’d been through. That was all she’d meant to him.
She knocked on her boss’ door and pushed it open. “I’m ready to get back to work,” she announced.